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Ryouanji Temple - Kyoto

2009/08/09

The Ryouanji premises

This temple is an old Buddhist temple in Kyoto. This was famous as a meditating center and still is. 
This temple is situated a little away from the normal temple city area. But this has not been a reason in the least  to stop visitors coming. This is situated in the middle of a large green woods with a beautiful pond in the middle. What we visit as the Ryouanji is only one portion of what it really was.

A trail lined with beautiful maple trees and sakura led us to the main hall of Rouanji. As it is seen in the picture below the steps leading to the hall is roofed with green maple leaves. It was so serene and calm just reminding me of the serenity and the calmness of the Buddhist temples back home(Sri Lanka).
The entrance

Once you have entered the premises, you see an enlarged photo of the famous rock garden on the inner entrance. Then a model of the rock garden is kept for exhibition. 
Rock garden is a white pebbled area where 13 rocks of different sizes are kept. In early days , monks used to do  Sakman Bhavan  here. Sakman Bhavan is a method of meditating while walking. Today nobody is allowed to enter the white pebbled garden. But till to date this is a very famous place for meditating. I was really amazed by the calmness and the silence of the hall and the garden even several hundred visitors were present. Mind can be calmed and I personally believe that this is one of the best place s for meditating.
A model of the rock garden

There are some interesting points about this particular garden. It is said that there are 13 rocks as mentioned earlier. But it is a famous fact that all 13 rocks can never be captured in one shot if not from above. And the pattern on the pebble is created by sweeping them every morning. It is said that this pattern is changed in different times of the year.
Below are the rocks and the white pebbled garden.




Special thanks to Mrs. Haruko Fujino and Dola of Lao for making this journey a fruitful one.

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